Okay my apologies in advance if this is an inappropriate place for this post but ... it's my first and it only took me 15 minutes to decide where it belonged! Anywho ....

I was just wondering if anyone was familiar with Sandboxie (specifically v3.50,) and if so have you tried running the Sims in the Sandbox, or better yet, installing it there. I think it sounds like a great idea, but considering how many problems I've run into so far with this game I'm trying to be more careful.

I'm so used to just Googling everything but this time I couldn't find anything! Then I remembered my brain -but that didn't work- so hopefully someone here can clue me in. Seriously, what did we do before Google because I honestly can't remember.

why in particular would you want to run it in sandboxie? Not to be rude, It just seems unusual

Hmm, I guess I just assumed that there is always a risk when downloading Mods (I do on Downloading binges and stray from my trusted sites) and that by running the game in the Sandbox I would be helping to protect my comp. from any suspicious files that may have made it past my other security software. I just feel much more at ease knowing that anything malicious would be blocked. But really the truth is I barely grasp any of this stuff as it is, so maybe this isn't as great as I think it is. And considering I can't find any detailed documentation I'm not trying it myself because I can only follow the most in-depth instructions, with pictures of course. Maybe I'm just a little paranoid ... ?

From looking up sandboxie, it seems that for what you're talking about, you should just have your browser installed in it.

I understand your concern, but specifically the sims 3 modding community is generally very safe, just use common sense and you will be fine

If all you're downloading is .package, .sims3pack, and .sim files, then you're safe. Worst that will happen with those is you might download something that causes problems with your -game-, but that's usually due to outdated/incompatible/poorly made stuff, and something like Sandboxie is not going to protect you from that sort of thing anyway.

Yeah the whole conflicting mod thing I'm all too familiar with at this point. Basically I've owned the laptop I have now for a couple of years and only recently did I bother to to look into the whole 'security' thing. I had no anti-virus software and I don't even think my firewall was set up right (shameful, I know). So now I'm constantly freaking out wondering if my computer is infected or not. Plus even the simplest security software is proving to be beyond me. Whenever a scan does find something I never have a clue if it's a false positive or a virus/trojan/worm/etc./etc. .... the whole thing is exhausting when you have no idea what you're doing. I miss not caring.

Well, if you do get a virus then at least you can restore your computer to an earlier save point. But stay far away from sites with popups, and if there is a popup that will not let you close the page unless you click one of its options then it is a trap. Force close the browser with task manager. To answer your question, anything that is extension *.sims3pack or *.package is okay for the game. If installation asks you to do something that makes you fret then it's better not to bother with it.

We used one of the dozens of other search engines that predated Google? I liked Alta Vista.

And yeah... Sims mods aren't going to give you viruses. Sims mod SITES could, but that's a browser issue, not a game issue.

I use Adblock Plus but for some reason I see just as many adds. I've played around with different subscriptions but it's still the same. I think maybe this fear is my punishment for not taking care of my computer in the first place. Thanks everyone for your input, I'm not too worried about it now.

Get your security advice from the pros. I always visit techguy.org for my needs.

Don't own a computer if the simplest security software is beyond you. If you're worrying about sim mods you're worrying about the wrong stuff!


Come on... seriously... if you can read and type you can understand security software

Firefox + Adblock + Scriptblock + AVG = SORTED.

And all for free. Been running like this for years now and have -never- had any viruses, trojans, malware, or adware. The -only- time I've ever had problems was back when I didn't have all that, and let other people use my computer, or opened something I damn well should've known better than to open.

I agree with HP. No matter what version of Windows you get, no matter how much or little you use, you need some sort of good protection. And you don't necessarily need to pay for it, too. (Explaining to my Grandma that you don't need to pay for Virus protection and/or Mac's don't get viruses, was like explaining to a Frenchman! "Norton Antivirus est inutile pour moi!" Norton Antivirus is Useless for me)
There are many ways to get the protection you need, but the best way its to stick with stuff that's free, does what it says, and is known for being reliable. I, personally, don't like AVG, and use Avast! instead [had some problems with it aaages ago when I didn't know what I was even doing] but it's all the same, really. Don't be scared, use some good Google-fu, and you'll be fine

ESET AV for me It's the fastest and leanest. But yeah.

MSE, its free lightweight, and you dont even know its there until you have a problem

Paranoia is getting the best of you when you want to run a video game on Sandboxie. AVG, Windows Firewall and really strong passwords are all you need unless you go to a lot of dangerous websites and download a lot of warez.

I seriously doubt that the Sims 3 would run on a sandbox server but if it did it would run like crap.

I have used the free version of Avast together with plain old Windows Firewall for years, and between the two of them everything's been caught so far. I also use common sense and regular caution when surfing and downloading from the internet.

I'm not sure about that. package files may contain S3SA resources which basically is program code. And while they are executed only by Sims 3, I don't think, Sims 3 creates a really escape proof wrapper for them.

To date we've -never- seen any malicious files out there though. It may be possible, but the number of people with the knowledge capable of creating something like that is -very- low. Some new modder on the scene with something interesting enough to actually get downloaded would probably get picked apart pretty quickly by the other handful of folks capable of that level of modding, and their deception discovered (especially if a few people went "omg I downloaded this and then my dog exploded"). The potential is there - maybe - but it's not happening, and seems really, really unlikely to happen. And if it -did-, you know the yowling would be so loud about it that there'd be a patch pretty quick to stop it. There was enough whining with the doll that packed itself with sims3packs and didn't harm anything that EA addressed that. Verified actual malicious code would be stopped/publicized before it could do too much damage, I think.

Well thanks everyone, I know it's been 2 weeks since I've been online but now I realize I was fretting over nothing. Besides, I felt much better after taking a peek at my mom's laptop ... trojan central! I think between a handful of very useful programs (Avast, Online Armor, Secunia, SpywareBlaster, and a few other helpful tools from Piriform) my pc should be okay, and dare I say it, so should I!



Probably very good advice but ... come on, no computer, really!? What then, read a book, psshhhht!!

Of course not, there are lots of ways to avoid book reading. Just go to a friends house and use their computer!